a last hurrah

We had a cold snap today. Instead of our recent 80, the temperatures dipped to the 60s. I took one look at the lonely last can of pumpkin in my pantry and knew this was my last chance to use it before I found myself in the midst of summer. So I made these cookies and they were just right.

Glazed Spice Cake Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream pumpkin, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk and eggs; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture; stir until combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet (or a Silpat). Bake for 10 minutes or until almost firm. Cool on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack until cooled completely.

Glaze (I needed a double batch)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
dash cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and stir well. When the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the glaze, then allow to set, glaze side up.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light maybe? I'm not sure. It's been in my recipe box for years and years.

my a-ha moment

I think you know that I don't much care for cooking dinner. It seems like I never know what to make, the kids get hungry and grumpy, and it makes a mess of my kitchen. I love a good baking session, but when it comes down to it, getting dinner on the table is not easy for me.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure this out, but if I can cook dinner ahead of time, and have the mess all cleaned up, dinner becomes a pleasure. A pleasure! Who knew? Well, maybe you did. Do you do this, too? What are some of your favorite cook-ahead recipes?

Today I made my favorite enchiladas. They are chilling as I type, to be reheated later this evening. I can't wait.

Elliot kept me company at the sink while I fried the tortillas for the enchiladas. (The recipe doesn't call for fried tortillas, but I think it makes them so much better.) And can you believe that heart? It was a tortilla-frying miracle.

the key to my heart

On this day eleven years ago, I married that guy down there in the navy sport coat (my best decision to date, by the way). To celebrate (and because he knows me so well), he took me and the littles out for donuts this morning. Yum.

If you are local, we love Bosa Donuts the best. Their buttermilk bar is a little piece of heaven.

There was a digger dumping a load of dirt into a dump truck right outside the shop! So exciting for our little boy. And once upon a time, Stella's donut was covered with pink frosting. Until she ate it. Just the part with the frosting.

late to the party

Sometimes I need a quick and cheap project to do around the house. The door to our garage was getting pretty dinged up. It had seen whiter days, so on a whim we covered it with chalkboard paint. Is chalkboard paint even still "in"? I don't know. But these kids sure are having fun with it. I have to admit, it's nice to have a humongous space for a to-do list, too.

I never thought I was a car person.

But then the other day I found myself taking the long way to the grocery store just so I could drive my Wagoneer a little bit more. (The grocery store is only a quarter of a mile from my house, so I had to be creative.) The thrill hasn't worn off yet. I know it is just a car, but it really does make me happy every time I see it. And is it crazy that it motivates me to get dressed in the morning? This car just deserves better than sloppy pajamas or mom sweats.

I'd love to hear what your dream car is. Are you lucky enough to drive it?

We heart pizza.

This pizza was as festive as things got around here yesterday. But don't worry, plenty of candy was still consumed, despite our lack of valentine crafts and decor. I think Elliot had a sucker in his hand just about all day long.

Homemade pizza is a standard at our house. My kids love it, and it is so easy to put together. Once I gave up pretending it was as good as our local pizza parlor, and realized that it is almost like a different food altogether, even I started enjoying it.

I thought I'd share my favorite dough recipe. It makes two 12-inch pizzas.

Into your bread machine, place the following ingredients:

1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 1/2 cups, or 16.6 oz flour (All-purpose tastes best, I'll be honest. But I usually use at least 1 cup of whole wheat flour to make it "healthy".)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast, or 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Use the dough cycle. My machine takes about 2 hours, so I try to start the dough by early afternoon. Once the cycle is complete, knead the dough a few times on a lightly floured surface. Then divide in half, shape into balls, brush with olive oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let it rest on your counter while you heat up the oven (or for about 30 minutes). You can also put the dough in the fridge at this point to use later in the day or even the next day, just let it rest again for about 30 minutes before shaping and cooking.

I bake our pizzas on one of those woven metal pizza pan-things (kind of like this) on a pizza stone on the lowest rack, and I set my oven as high as it will go, 525 degrees. (During the summer, I put the pizza stone in the grill outside so I don't heat up the house.) After letting the dough rest, shape the first pizza, add toppings (hint: go easy on the sauce), and bake for 10 minutes. While the first pizza is baking, I shape and top the second.

Sometimes, if we are feeling particularly fancy, Mike will make garlic butter for dipping. And we might even put more than just cheese on top. :)

This still happens almost everyday.

And it is my most favorite thing.

sending you sunshine

I hope your weekend is warm and bright!

quiet days

We haven't been up to a whole lot lately, which is just the way I like it. Here are a few instagram shots to illustrate how very boring we are. :)

Elliot got a new car seat, much to his dismay. He had figured out how to unbuckle his old one, and now he is kind of bummed that he's stuck. Mike was working last Saturday, so the kids and I headed to the library. It is one of our favorite places.

The weather has been so pleasant, that we've been making twice daily trips to the park. We have to get all of our sliding and swinging in while we can.

I get to have handsome Oliver in my primary class this year. He is so easy and good. And once all of the kids are at school, I am left with this little guy. We have lots of fun folding laundry or cleaning the house or going to the grocery store together.

Does this look like your life, too?

photos

I am finally getting around to printing photos from our first ever official family photo session last December. Every time I flip through the images, I find more favorites. This time it was this set of our Elliot. Ashley did such a great job capturing his little face. Oh, if you haven't had your photos taken by someone, don't delay! I am so glad that I will always have these images to remind me of Elliot's little nervous finger sucking habit.

book report

It's been a long time since I've done one of these, but I've read a few great books lately that I wanted to share.

Pictured:

Ahab's Wife is perhaps one of my favorite books. I recently read it for the second time, and loved it even more than I remembered. It is the fictional account of Una, a woman who marries the legendary Captain Ahab. It is so beautifully written. I don't typically write in my books, but this is the kind of book that made me want to highlight passages to re-visit later.

A Fierce Radiance was my least favorite of this bunch, but it is a very interesting story. It follows the development of penicillin during the second World War. I found the ending unsatisfactory and the bedroom scenes unnecessary, but the reality of a world without penicillin was fascinating.

Gone With the Wind is a classic, and rightly so. Oh, it was good. I hated Scarlet and loved Rhett, and I still hold out hope that they ended up happy and together.

The Book Thief has been on my to-read list for a long time. I shouldn't have waited so long to read it. It was moving and heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time. It takes place in Germany, during World War II, and is narrated by Death. But don't let that deter you. It is wonderful.

I am usually not one for non-fiction, but Bill Bryson's At Home is fantastic. I flew through it. It is so full of interesting information, and so entertaining. Bill Bryson is a master.

Not pictured:

My Cousin Rachel was a fun beach read while we were in Mexico last month. I didn't enjoy it quite as well as Rebecca, but it was still very entertaining. Daphne du Maurier is good at what she does, which is dark, mysterious fiction.

What is the What took me forever to finish. That is not to say that it wasn't interesting and well-written and that I didn't enjoy it. Because it was and I did, it is just a hard subject. The fact that it is based on truth, makes it even more difficult. It follows the story of a Sudan refugee, his tragic flight to Ethiopia, and his eventual settling in America. A tough read, but very well-done.

The Blue Star is the sequel to Jim the Boy, which I have never read but would like to. The Blue Star is sweet and tender and kind of heart breaking. It has sort of the same feel as The Whistling Season, which I also loved.

I typically don't like books that take place in modern times, but I enjoyed The Hand that First Held Mine. Maybe the fact that it bounces back and forth between a modern day story and one fifty years in the past kept my interest. There were moments in this book that felt so real for me, especially as it tells of Elina and her difficulties as a first time mother.


There you have it. Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What's the best book you've read lately?